He--Johnnie, he
says _he_ believes Mr. Stoddard suicided."
[Illustration: "LOST--GONE! MY GOD, MOTHER--IT'S THREE DAYS AND THREE
NIGHTS!"]
"Where is Shade Buckheath?" whispered Johnnie.
"Shade's been out with mighty nigh every crowd that went," Laurella told
her. "Mr. Hardwick pays them wages, just the same as if they were in the
mill. Shade's going with Gid this morning, in Mr. Stoddard's
automobile."
"Are they gone--oh, are they gone?" Johnnie sprang to her feet in
dismay, and stood staring a moment. Then swiftly she bent once more over
the little woman in the bed. "Mother," she said before Laurella could
speak or answer her, "Aunt Mavity can wait on you and Deanie for a
little while--with what help Lissy will give you--can't she, honey? And
Mandy was coming downstairs to her breakfast this morning--she's able to
be afoot now--and I know she'll be wanting to help tend on Deanie. You
could get along for a spell without me--don't you think you could?
Honey," she spoke desperately. "I've just got to find Shade Buckheath--I
must see him."
"Sure, we'll get along all right, Johnnie," Laurella put in eagerly. She
tugged at a corner of the pillow, fumbled thereunder with her little
brown hand, and dragging out Pap Himes's bankbook, showed it to her
daughter, opening at that front page where Pap's clumsy characters made
Laurella Himes free of all his savings.
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